Portable electric light



H. ROTHENBERG. PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. mm

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

PATENT OFFICE.

" UNITED STATES HARRY ROTHENBEBG, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOHENRY HYMAN & 00., INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Application filed September 19, 1918. Serial 1103254506.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Ro'rrinNnnne, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of: Ridgewood, in the county of Queens and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PortableElectric Lights, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to the switch or circuitcontrolling devices of portable electric lights of the characterordinarily held in the hand and lighted, as occasion may require, by themanual move ment of means applied upon the exterior casing of thedevice.

My invention resides more especially in a novel arrangement andconstructionot parts including a slide for completing the circuitbetween the lamp and battery, an escutcheon on which said slide ismounted, and a spring held within the escutcheon and carrying at one enda button which is exposed through the escutcheon, said spring beingformed with a cam surface to. be acted on by an inner portion of theslide for flexing said spring and moving said button to circuitclosingposition, and said spring independently of the slide being adapted to beflexed inwardly by external pressure applied against said button, forcompleting the circuit. The slide or thumb piece will be made use ofwhen a more or less permanent light is' required. and the push buttonwill be made use of independently ot'the slide when it is desired toproduce light flashes, as for signalling.

I The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had 'to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

' Fig. 1 isavertical section through one side portion of the casing of aportable electriclight. said casing being equipped with circuitcontrolling means embodying, my invention and the sectionbeing takenonthe dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a. central vertical. section through the tubularportion of aflash light equipped with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the casing of theflash light having the circuit controlling means 'of my inventionappliedthereto, the parts being shown as having been operated to complete thecircuit whereas in Fig. 1- the parts of the switch mechanism are shownin normal po-. sition ready for use;

Fig. 4. 8 a detached mner face view of-the escutcheon or switch casing,with the inte--' rior parts thereof shown in position; Fig. 5 is a likeview of the same with the circuit making spring omitted therefrom;

Fig. (5 is a detached outer face view or elevation of the switch orcircuit controlling means embodying my invention, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the same and a portion of theshell of the flash light taken on the dotted line 7-7 of Fig. 2; i

In the drawings, 15 designates a tubular fibre or other insulatingcasing, and this casing may be of any suitable character adapted toreceive a battery, reflector, lamp bulb and lens, which features I' omitfrom the present drawing, since'my invention resides in the circuitcontrolling devices shown. i p I 1 llithin the casing 15' are twonormally separated conducting strips 16, 17,"the lower end of the strip17 being forconnection with the negative pole of the battery. as usual,and the upper end of the, strip 16 being 'carried upwardly tothe upperedge of thecasing 15 and adapted to be placed in electrical connectionwith the usual reflector. The inner or upper end of the strip 17 issecured to one end of a metal escutcheon, switch casing or housing 18 bymeansof an eyelet or rivet 19, which also alds in secur ing thecscutcheon upon'the side of the'casing 15 and places the strip 17 inelectrical connection with said escutcheon. The inner or lower end ofthe strip '16 is secured'to the casing by means of an eyelet 20 whoseouter end is exposed within the escutcheon or housing 18 but is notnormally in electri-' cal connection therewith. The housing orescutcheon 18 is rigidly secured in position upon the side of the casinglo by the afore said eyelet or rivet 19 and by additional eyelets orrivets 21. said 'escutcheon or housing being formed with three aperturedwings, as shown in "Fig. 4-, for receiving the outer ends. of theeyelets or rivets 19, 21. I

Upon the exterior. flat face of the escutcheon or housing 18 is mounteda thumb-piece or slide 22 preferably formed froin'sheet metal andhaving, at opposite sides, tongues 23 which are inserted through slotsin the escutcheon or housing 18 and bent toward each other, as shown inFig. 7, not only to secure the thumb-piece or slide in position, butalso to embrace one portion of a small plate 24 which is within thehousing or escutcheon 18 and intended to movewith the thumb-piece orslide 22. The plate 24. is illustrated in rear elevation in Fig. 5, and,as shown, is recessed in its opposite side edges to receive andinterlock with the tongues 23, whereby the plate 24; and thumbpiece orslide 22 become secured together. The main body of the plate 24 is flatand lies against-the inner surface of the outer face of the escutcheonor housing 18, and at one end, the upper end looking at the thawings,said plate 24 is depressed inwardly, as at to form a V inwardlyprojecting cam surface. The end portions of the plate .ZQ-Jcrosstheslots 26 through which the tongues 23 formed on the sides of the thumbpiece or slide 22 project, as shown in Fig. v y

The escutcheon or housing 18 conceals the eyelet or rivet 20 by whichthe conducting strip 16 is secured to the casing 15, and within theouter portion of said escutcheon or housing 18 is secured a spring 27which is of the outline of the interior chamber of the escutch'eon orhousing 18 and is secured at one end by an eyelet or rivet- 28 to theouter wall thereof. The spring 27 extends from the eyelet or rivet 28upwardly along the inner face of the plate 24"and'at its upper end hassecured thereto "a push-button 29 which normally is'exposed through anopening'30 in the cscutcheon orhousing'18. The

"spring :27 between the push-button 29 and eyelet 28 is bent inwardly,as at 31, to provide a space within which the V projection 2'5ofthepIate-Qamayslide, and the spring '27 at the upper end of said recess orspace 31 is inclined correspondingly with the upper face ofthejprojection 25 so as to Coast with said projection as a cam surfaceor surfaces when the thumb-piece or slide 22 is moved upwardly towardthe pushbutton 29. Vhen'the thumb-piece or slide22 "is pressed upwardlytoward the push-button 29, the projection 25 on the plate 24 rides uponthe'spring 27and flexesthe upper end ot said spring inwardly, as shownin Fig.

3, so that the shankot' the push-button orthe rivet securingthe same tosaid spring may pass into electrical engagement with the eyelet E20 andconductingstrip 16,'thereby'completingthe circuit through the lamp andbattery. \Vhen the thumb-piece or slide is moved downwardly from theposition shown in F lg. 33 to that illustrated in Fig. -1; the spring 27automatically returns to its normal position, its upper portion'movmgoutwardly agalnst'the outer "inner wall or the escutcheon or housing 18and'carrv ing the button 29 fromthe eyelet 20. there by breaking thecircuit. The thumb-piece or slide 22.11.1921 tail-end 14: which sets outwardly from the outer face of the escutcheon or housing 18 and isadapted to pass over the outer end otthe eyelet 28, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the features illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive willprobably be fully understood from the foregoing description in so .faras the movement of the thumb-piece or slide 22 is concerned; the upwardmovement of the thumb-piece or slide 22 causes the plateQl acting as acam against the spring 527 to flex the upper end of said spring inwardlyand complete the circuit through the eyelet or rivet 20, and when thetl'mmlbpiece or slide is moved downwardly, carrying the plate 2% withit, the spring 27 is permitted to automatically retire from the eyelet20 and in that way eii'ect the breaking of the circuit. When a more orless permanent light is required, the thumb-piece or slide 22- will beoperated to complete and maintain the electric circuit, but when lightflashes, as for signalling, or a temporary light, is required, thethumbpiece or slide 22 may be ignored and the button 29 pushed in by thethumb so as to establish the circuit through the eyelet or rivet 20 andstrip 16. Imay thus; utilize the tlmmb-piece or slide 22 for completingthe circuitor,independently of said thumbpiece or slide, "Inlay completethe circuit by manual pressure against the outer endoit the thumb-pieceor button 29.

hat I claim as my invention and desire 3 to secure by 'Lettirs-Patent,is:

1. A circuit switch-mechanism for portable electric lightscomprising, incombination, a metal escutcheon having a thumb piece fslidably mountedon its outer tace- 'and a'pl'ate slidably mounted. on its lnner fa e andconnected with said thumb piece'to slide therewith and having aCHDPPZOZQCUOII on oneend, aplate-spring secured atone end to and withinsaid escutcheon and being in electrical connection therewith and havingan inward bend'atfording a cam surface tor cooperation with saidprojectionin flexing the spring to circuit closing position, and apush-button secured to the free end of said spring and exposed throughsaid 'escutch'eon and adapted -when manually pressed inwardly to flexsaid spriiigto cir cult closing position "iniilependently of saidtlnm'ib-piece and plate connected therewith. I

2. A circuit switch-mechanism for portable electric lights "comprising,in combinain electricalconnection therewith and hav ing an inward bendafiording a cam surface for cooperation with said projection inflexingthe spring to circuit closing position, and a push-button secured to thefree end of said spring and ex sed through said escutcheon and adaptewhen manually pressed inwardly to flex said spring to circuit closingposition independently of said thumb-piece and plate connectedtherewith, said escutcheon having parallel guide slots in its outer faceand said thumb-piece having side fingers extending inwardly through saidslots and folded toward each other upon said plate for securing the sameagainst the inner surface of the escutcheon.

3. A circuit switch-mechanism for portable electric lights comprising,in combination, a metal escutcheon having a thumbpiece slidably mountedon its outer face and a plate slidably mounted on its inner face andconnected with said thumb-piece to slide therewith and having acam-projection on one end, a plate-spring secured at one end to andwithin said escutcheon and being in electrical connection therewith andhaving an inward bend afi'ording a cam surface for cooperation with saidprojection in flexing the spring to circuit closin position and apush-button secured to the ree end of said spring and exposed throughsaid escutcheon and adapted when manually pressed inwardly to flex saidspring to circuit closing position independently of said thumb-piece andplate connected therewith, said escutcheon having parallel guide slotsin its outer face and said thumb-piece having side fingers extendinginwardly through said slots and folded toward each other upon said platefor securing the same against the inner surface of the escutcheon, andsaid plate having recesses in its opposite edges to receive andinterlock the plate with said fingers, and said plate beyond saidrecesses being wider than the space between said slots.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 29th day of August, A. D. 1918.

HARRY ROTHENBERG.

\Vitnesses ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. C. GILL.

